Key Insights
Quick Facts
- Name: Truist Park
- Location: Smyrna, Georgia
- Customer: Metromont
- Client: Atlanta Braves
- Size: 60-acre site
- Our Solution: Arcosa provided lightweight aggregate for the precast concrete used in the parking structures, helping reduce the weight of the double-tee beams and ensuring efficient transportation and placement.
- Why Lightweight Works: The lightweight concrete provided over two hours of fire protection and reduced transportation costs by allowing more pieces to be hauled per truck.
Final Results
-
The use of lightweight concrete reduced the weight of the precast components by 25 to 35%, enabling cost-effective transportation and efficient installation on-site.
Key Quote
Context:
- Considerations: Lightweight concrete provided the necessary fire protection and structural performance while reducing costs related to transportation and installation.
- Lessons Learned: Using lightweight aggregate in precast elements can lower overall project costs, improve logistics, and meet stringent fire safety regulations.
Discover more about how Arcosa Lightweight can optimize concrete solutions for large-scale projects and improve efficiency.
Truist Park: Maximizing Parking Efficiency and Durability with Lightweight Precast Elements
Like many mixed-use developments, Truist Park thrives on its ability to accommodate the need to live, work, play—and park—all in one location, which is crucial to its success. Arcosa Lightweight provided the essential lightweight aggregate for the park’s parking structures, ensuring efficient use of space while meeting strict fire-rating and structural requirements.
Metromont, a leading producer of precast concrete products, was responsible for supplying the precast panels, beams, and columns for both the stadium itself and its multiple parking garages. Angela San Martin, P.E., Sales & Business Development Manager at Metromont, shared the excitement of their contribution:
“We supplied all of the structural precast for the stadium as well as five parking garages. It was especially exciting for us since all of it was produced at our Hiram, Georgia plant.”
Double-Tee Beams and Lightweight Concrete
One of the most critical components in parking deck construction is the double-tee beams, which form both the floors and ceilings of parking garages. To meet fire-rating requirements and reduce the weight of these large pieces, Arcosa Lightweight provided lightweight aggregate for the concrete mix used in Metromont’s Hiram yard.
“On a few of the parking decks at Truist Park, the fire-rating requirements dictated our use of lightweight concrete,” said San Martin. “Lightweight concrete provides over two hours of fire protection based on the building type classification.”
Transporting these oversized double-tees safely across busy Atlanta required careful coordination. Lightweight concrete helped Metromont reduce the weight of each piece, allowing more efficient transportation and placement on-site. San Martin explained:
“We try to put more than one piece on a truck to reduce the number of shipments, which ultimately saves costs for the owner. Lightweight concrete allows us to do that.”
Lighter and Just as Strong
Lightweight concrete made a significant impact on Truist Park’s construction. San Martin noted: “The typical double-tee weighs about 35,000 pounds. Lightweight concrete keeps the structure’s overall weight down, which can be a significant cost savings when hauling and placing these oversized components.”
By using Arcosa Lightweight’s expanded shale aggregate, the overall weight of each precast piece was reduced by 25 to 35% compared to normal weight concrete, without sacrificing strength. The precast elements were easier to transport and install, and the lightweight concrete met fire-rating requirements, ensuring the safety and durability of the structure.